Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-23
THE RECENT CHARGES OF CRU
ELTY AND IyHUMANlTY.
They Turn Ont to be without Foun.
datiou-The System at Folsom
The Dungeons"


which subsequent investigation proves TO
be false The difficulty Is, that charges be-
ing once made through the press, will not
wholly lose their effect by retrachon, or by
the most elaborate Withdrawals, denials
and exposures. For there is an injury in
hicted by charge preferred that not even
the most pronounced and enthusiastic
verdict of not guilty" can remove.
Concerning the hasty charges against the
management of the Folsom Prison officials,
and which were briefly given yesterday.
the RECORD UNION has closely examined
into the facts and it has become thor
oughly satisfied that all the charges are
baseless and emanate only from men who
have every motive imaginable for creating
a feeling of public distrust in the prison
officials. Any change, to desperate con-
vlcts, offers opportunities to escape and TO
shirk work. The investigations of the
RECORD UNION establish these things as
facts.
THE DoUCHE.
The San Francisco Morning Gail, in q
side article charged, upon information that
is not clearly disclosed, that two convicts,
Gray and Buckley, have been douched with
cold water at Folsom until they tainted
and were so injured that they were in hos
pital several weeks.
Inquiry develops the indisputable fact
that it is an absolute falsehood. No such
men were ever showered or douched at
Folsom. The douche or shower or hose is
not used at The prison at all, and has not
been for years. Whoever gave the story
origin simply and grossly lied.
DUNGEON CELLS
1t has been stated that men are confined
in u
light and air, refused baths for weeks, and
denied necessary exercise.
The fact IS, the " dungeon cells" are like
all the other cells, except that raised tin
covers, or hoods, are over the wickets to
prevent any one passing in tools, but do
not prevent the ingress of air or of much
light that might go through the narrow
wicket or slot. The holes for light and air.
top and bottom, and back and front of the
cells, are the same in all the cells. The
kind of men put in these cells are those
who refuse to yield under ordinary punish
ment of bread and water from three to ten
days, and those who assault officers and
prisoners, and threaten to take life, and
persist in their declarations to assault and
to kill, and refuse repeatedly to do service
required of all the men. If man who
has threatened to assault or kill, retracts
he Is not put into these cells and when he
is thus imprisoned he is told that his re-
lease is in his own hands, and that bv re-
traction he can open his cell door. If he
sends word to the proper officers that he
will promise to obey the rules, mis- case is
reported to the Warden, who never fails to
release him. But if he has so promised
and broken his word repeatedly, the
Warden may decline to release the prisoner
at once. There is not, we find, in solitary
non Gt,nt fOr l.
has not had from two to seven trials of
promise and release.
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT"
1t has been published that the confine-
ment in these cells for incorrigibles is soli-
tary, and thereby the public is given to
understand that ii is something awful in
its silence, darkness and starvation, and
tendency to drive men insane, and that it is
like the cellular system at the East, and
like that of England, where the prisoner
sees no one, hears no one, and is absolutely
cut of from all human beings.
Investigation proves the facts to be that
these . incorrigibles have the same food
as other prisoners. and as much The cells
arekept perfectlyclean; the clothing changed
weekly the bedding as often as needed,
and the inmates get all the exercise they
can be persuaded to take. This exercise is
taken in fenced-otf space in the corridor,
over 100 feet long. as well lighted and
ventilated as any other part of the prison
in fact it is the best part of the prison for
light and air, and was selected for the pur-
pose for that reason. The exercise is daily.
and as often and as long as the prisoners
can be induced to take it; that is, they are
not taken into the corridor to loaf" but
to exercise, and, when tired, they must go
into the cells.
BLUE SKIN AND SCHMIDT.
To the statement as to exercise we find
there are two exceptions. Blueskin " is
in close confinement for repeatedly and
persistently assaulting other prisoners, re-
fusing to work and defying officers and the
use of filthy language. He has had six or
seven trials and broken faith every time.
Schmidt is the desperate fellow who nearly
dug out of his cell several times, tried to
escape often and frequently threatened to
kill and lately made a murderous assault
on the Warden. Blueskin is not
allowed to exercise with others he takes
his exercise alone, and is not denied it.
Schmidt is kept in his cell because he is a
desperate man and it is dangerous TO give
him the corridor privileges. He has plenty
of food, all he wants and as good as Others
get, and he has light and air in plenty.
SAMfIE fALSkHOODS.
1t has been published that some of the
prisoners in the incorrigible ward" are.
by reason of confinement, going insane
and blind
The fact, on investigation, proves TO be
that no cell is so deprived of light as
| charged, but all cells have the same light
and air, in quantity. The middle slot, or
wicket, alone, as stated, has hood of tin,
to prevent anyone passing articles in
There is no prisoner going insane or
blind Winters claims that he is insane.
but all the people about the prison believe
him to be feigning. This fellow, we find.
was once confined at San Quentin, and
tried the insanity dodge there, going so far
as to smear himself with self filth in order
to create the impression that he was hone
lessly demented. On coming to Folsom,
he told of the attempted deception and
laughed over It. 1t is not singular that Of
Ulcers should distrust such man, and look
upon his insanity plea with more than sus-
picion.
kepney, negro, is a crank, vicious, and
is in the incorrigible ward because he Is a
crank, and liable to commit assaults if al
lowed to remain with other prisoners
Campbell is a simple, harmless crank. and
kept in the ward to prevent injury to HIM
self, and is not confined there for punish
ment. He is to be examined for the In
sane Asylum soon. jeremiah Murphy is
confined for the same reason az given in
the case of the negro Kepney. All the
charges about prisoners being driven to in
sanity. starved and brought by exhaustion
to death, are shown at the prison to be
wholly untrue, and to exist only in the
viciousness and fancy of the prisoners in
the incorrigible ward.
CONDITIONS AT THE PRISON.
There are at the prison in Folsom about
61o convicts. OF this large number there
are between 10 and Is in the incorrigible
ward, and of these, three are not confined
for offenses but for reasons stated. The re-
naming five hundred and ninty odd have
made no complaint of bad treatment in
the prison.
There is one man in the hospital only,
and some fifteen or twenty men are bodily
incapable of work. All the others work,
and with degree of willing industry that
! it is believed is not equaled in any other
prison in the United States. Among them
there is no disobedience or characterization.
The discipline seems to be perfect, and the
appearance of the working prisoners speaks
i